I like to watch comedians. Why? Because they naturally have an altered view of reality. They approach common situations in unusual ways. Comedians make me think about common things differently. A gazillion books and blogs on what leaders ought to be doing are giving out that same advice – think about the ordinary……in [...]
How to tell when you’re really learning
April 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
One of the good things about being back in school is that I have plenty of opportunities to discover new bits of information that I had not been aware of before, which makes me feel enlightened. One of the bad things is that I have plenty of opportunities to discover new bits of information that [...]
Son, you’re making me crazy
March 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
All aspects of life have their ups and downs. Family life, in particular, feels like a roller coaster. At times, I’m pretty certain my children will drive me right off the rails of that roller coaster. Our older son (age 6) is an awesome kid. He’s bright, creative, insightful and sometimes, wise beyond his [...]
The angry myth
March 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Admit it, we all do it. We all get angry and try to use that anger to bend others to our will. Kids, strangers, signifcant others, the kid at the deli counter, the guy in accounting…..they’re all subject to our ire and they can be forced to comply. Sometimes – maybe even most of the time – we’ll see them cave in and give us what we want. Unfortuantely, that cooperation rarely lasts for long. [Read more]
The importance of doubt.
February 7, 2011 By 2 Comments
I think that doubt, especially self doubt, is a necessary component of humility. If you buy into that, then becoming truly great at anything necessitates realizing that you very often don’t have any clue what it is you are doing. Doubting your own abilities and decisions is what causes you to step back, reflect, seek advice from others, and adjust your behaviors to yield a better outcome. Only those who are not humble lack self-doubt. [Read more]
Let the Personality Show
September 8, 2010 By 2 Comments
I’ve encountered a few offices where personality literally hung from the walls. In these spaces, people were free to decorate the walls with almost anything that came to mind. While the atmosphere was bizarre at first, after a while, you began to get the sense that people weren’t just free to decorate – they were [...]
Best of MFP: Parenting and Management: How similar are they?
April 15, 2010 By 10 Comments
Last week, I started a Q&A session on LinkedIn that asked: “Does the way in which a person cares for their children have any bearing on how they care for their employees? How are management and parenting styles the same, or different? Does being good at one make you better at the other?” The intent was [...]
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